A CHANGE OF HEART FOR ANQUAN

Not long ago, Cardinals receiver Anquan Boldin made clear his position that he would not sign a new contract with the team. Since then, however, Boldin has had a dramatic change of heart. A league source tells us that Boldin has informed the team that he is now willing to consider a new deal -- if it pays him fairly in light of the existing market. Though no specific numbers have emerged, the Cardinals established the market last year by signing Larry Fitzgerald to a four-year, $40 million contract. Other wideouts (like Randy Moss of the Patriots) are being paid at an annual rate of $9 million. The question becomes whether the Cardinals are willing to devote so much money to the receiver position. The Lions decided against such an approach last season, tradining Roy Williams to the Cowboys. In acquiring Williams via trade and pairing him with Terrell Owens, the Cowboys opted to embrace having a pair of highly-paid pass-catchers. It remains to be seen whether the Cardinals come up with a contract offer that’ll prompt Boldin to stay put. Otherwise, he’ll earn a base salary of $2.75 million in 2009 and $3 million in 2010, the final two years of his deal. In our view, it’s a smart move by Boldin, since it acknowledges the reality that there’s nothing he can do or say to force a trade. If the Cardinals are going to deal him to a new team, they need to make that decision without Boldin jumping up and down about his desire to get out. In such circumstances, a team like the Cardinals might pass on a trade simply because they don’t appreciate the fact that the player is trying to dictate the terms of his employment.